A lack of computing in schools put the UK’s position as a world leader in computer gaming at risk, said Microsoft UK’s director of education.
Steve Beswick was speaking on the eve of the BETT show for educational technology in London.
Steve Beswick
Beswick said that the computer gaming sector currently generated £3bn a year for the British economy, adding that games and software developers required skilled individuals to ensure their businesses thrived.
“It’s a world leader in its sector and we desperately need to ensure that our talent pool of computer scientists is as healthy as it can be in order to sustain valuable industries like that,” he said.
These changes and exciting developments, like Raspberry Pi and Computing for Schools, are spreading the teaching of computer coding which is so educationally and economically vital”
Beswick pointed out that there were currently about 100,000 job vacancies in the UK that required computer science qualifications, but last year only about a third of that number had graduated in computer science.
Beswick said that the computer gaming sector currently generated £3bn a year for the British economy, adding that games and software developers required skilled individuals to ensure their businesses thrived.
“It’s a world leader in its sector and we desperately need to ensure that our talent pool of computer scientists is as healthy as it can be in order to sustain valuable industries like that,” he said.
These changes and exciting developments, like Raspberry Pi and Computing for Schools, are spreading the teaching of computer coding which is so educationally and economically vital”
Beswick pointed out that there were currently about 100,000 job vacancies in the UK that required computer science qualifications, but last year only about a third of that number had graduated in computer science.
“Computer science is something that we have been calling the ‘fourth science’ for some time,” said Mr Beswick.
“We believe that it is every bit as important as physics, chemistry and biology.”
Beswick believes that formally introducing children to the basics of the subject at primary school, will help inspire more pupils to take it to degree level and ultimately the world of work.
“We believe that it is every bit as important as physics, chemistry and biology.”
Beswick believes that formally introducing children to the basics of the subject at primary school, will help inspire more pupils to take it to degree level and ultimately the world of work.
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